Spotting Thirsty Influencers

[@jeremycook5393]

I just love that Ben didn’t even wash the chalk off his hands before recording.

[@wongkeebs4327]

The only sponsor i want is an ammo sponsor

[@tbenson5966]

No shit

[@johnnyfox8142]

Damnit. I just spent $20 for a beanie hat with the Glock logo. You're right. Im sponsoring them.

[@mwileyy112492]

Timely message given that shot show is underway and “influencers” are sharing their experience with the products.

[@MysticMungusSlungus]

7:04 I come from the world of running SCCA Solo nationally, what you say here holds true for many amateur sports, especially in racing.

[@tokyosan7906]

Bowling too. Guys will walk around tournaments with a jersey filled with company logos. They most often aren't sponsored though, they pay extra to have each logo included into their jersey.

[@MrMalicious5]

It’s the same thing in tournament paintball. Companies “sponsor” you by giving you 20% off and then they hound you if they ever see you using other gear. And every year you gotta buy their new line.

[@bentastic27]

It's so bad lol. I was shooting with a kid that was sponsored by American Reloading (he was legitimately good) and his dad was nonstop trying to shill buying they're "steel challenge" ammo to me after watching me load my mags with my own ammo for 4 hours. Bruh, I'm loading my own for half the cost of that crap and I'm just there to fuck around because it's February and no-ones running USPSA. It went on the entire time, "this is the best gun lube", "this 10-22 bolt NEBBER EBBER FAILS", so on and so forth. Like dude, I get it, your kid is really fuckin good at SC and you should be proud of him for being GM in like 8 divisions or whatever. Anyways. All this brings me back to when the Springfield Prodigy came out. Every gun influencer had one before release and of course they were all flawless. Normies started getting them and they were fuckkkkkked.

[@modernasiandynamics]

Cut me deep. Must ponder orbs. 😅

[@counselingpsychology]

This was exactly my experience getting sponsored. Except the gun wasn’t as good as my old one and I couldn’t honestly tell people I liked it so I walked away. If I ever get another opportunity, it’s not going to be for a new gun. My shooting journey took a detour because I thought being sponsored at that level was an achievement. It’s not. A good sponsorship shouldn’t have either party making a sacrifice.

[@coryk6839]

Solid video. I'd like to see a follow up on your unfiltered thoughts on what actually represents a good return from the company perspective on actual sponsorships (e.g. pay / product).

[@EdwardSnortin]

Love what you do man, ordered a slide release for a P-01 a while ago and realized it was you that I ordered it from lol

[@bozshooting]

Hey Ben, thanks for keeping us entertained! Some things are nasty to say, but there gotta be someone to say it!

[@mjolnirdynamics8789]

Insightful.

[@John.VanSwearingen]

It’s so apparent in competition shooting. When good shooters start hocking the worst gimmicky crap on their socials, it’s depressing. Good on them for getting paid, but damn, at least be sarcastic or self-aware about it.

[@Rambo564352]

Some sponsors make you show them the edge of the precious. #beskeptical

[@jasonpitts8395]

Truth.

[@jediknight1294]

When I was a professional athlete (paralympic track and field) I sold the rights to. My jersey for a beer at a LARP event I attended every year. I did that in order to have a ready made excuse not to play the sponsorship game. I just had that as an excuse to go 'I can't I have an exclusive contract.' Iv done the sponsored athlete thing and it fucking sucks even when they are paying for your event entry, your travel, your training. Doing it when the only benefit is a few mags or a belt... Fuck that.

[@hajduk_lives]

No sponsored shooters wearing company logos on jerseys is whack. Shooting jerseys in general are fucking cringe, as the kids say.

[@OntarioBearHunter]

Funniest are guys who buy them at 90 bucks a pop.. I call them the spandex crowd.

[@CurtisBrandt]

Yeah I've always had an issue with that. If no serious amount of cash is changing hands, forget it. LOL.

[@OntarioBearHunter]

​@CurtisBrandt yeah.. I only wear logos on hats and clothing if it was free.. I sell Beretta, Vortex, Browning etc and will wear that stuff at work if its free, plus they give good discounts to us. But people pay 25 to 40 bucks for those hats.

[@swiftaudi]

This is where I’m at I’d almost rather wear a plain shirt rather than shill for a company for free.

[@swiftaudi]

I’ve been shooting an arsenal all season last year and part of me wants to contact the company and see if they’ll sponsor me. I love the gun and I think it works so well I want to actively promote the gun.

[@YotaDaryl]

Ben for President 2024

[@CA.0verview]

4:30 definitely accurate today. They send a gun out that’s all they need as “payment” given it’s that persons ideal brand of firearm.

[@aleks2194]

So if Atlas wanted to send you a gun on the premise you had a atlas logo on you’d decline?

[@CA.0verview]

@@aleks2194 Yeah foo, it’s called having integrity. Men like Ben excite with it.

[@aleks2194]

@@CA.0verview how do you loose integrity by shooting an atlas gun?

[@LiorIPSC]

When you consider the shooting sports as a contest between manufacturers selling guns, ammo and shit to people like us for money rather than a contest between shooters contending in stages for hit factor, sponsorship makes much more sense.

[@Donny_Karate]

Yo you still alive?! I thought you were dying after the live last night with Matt😂

[@larrymanning4180]

sponsorship is not what most think. fished on a pro circuit for a few years and had a few sponsors, one gave me rods some custom built rods, reels line and other tackle, and I would do shows and received an hourly wage, but was approached by a boat Mfg. who wanted to sponsor me, all I had to do was buy a 90k boat from them at cost and work shows for free and the would give me a couple of shirts, not a good deal for me, sponsorships are about what you can do for them not what they can do for, I just shoot for my main sponsor ME.

[@jasonpbrownshooting]

I’m sponsored unwillingly and unwittingly by the abandoned dreams of rest of my family. Still, I would suck out a squib for an ammo deal.

[@Terryo6781]

Hey Ben How did sponsors work out for you?

[@jesseboehler8900]

#sponsoredbydad was my kids sponsor

[@mckennaConfig]

I'll shill my own products

[@ACxREAL]

yes, no, maybe?

[@nathanbrand1]

It only bothers me from a product perspective when you watch a guntuber and somehow 50 reviews in a row they've never had a malfunction. Credibility dies fast from there

[@tbenson5966]

Dude lots of guys are “Pro staff” promotional staff, or “ sticker sponsors” not even actually pros.

[@AlexanderSotelo]

Hand jobs for a 10% discount on that squib rod.

[@tonyg8471]

Yeah, the logo shirts are everywhere. Guys wearing the "sponsored shooter" shirts at matches better be really, really good to make me think they are actually being sponsored in some way. What these guys are doing is basically wearing a brand label because they like the products made by the brand. OK, nothing wrong with that. Golfers buy and wear golf brand hats all the time. I ignore the shooter shirts. Pay attention to the results and it's obvious who is really talented. If you're wearing the shooter shirt because you seek attention...